The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Closer Digs
HVA stations ambulance in Saline
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2008
Photo by Sue G. Collins
Brandon Sears (right) of Saline Area Fire Department welcomes Tim Newell and his crew of paramedics from Huron Valley Ambulance. One first-responder vehicle will be based in Saline to serve residents there and in Milan, York Township, Lodi Township and parts of western Pittsfield Township.
To more quickly respond to emergency calls in Milan and surrounding townships, Huron Valley Ambulance will now keep a first-response vehicle based at the Saline Area Fire Department.
This may be of comfort to Milan residents in the wake of the recent reclassification of the Milan Area Fire Department to a Category 2 station, where they will not automatically respond to all 911 calls.
"We will dispatch the closest car, and that may well be the Saline unit," said Joyce Williams, HVA public affairs manager.
The ambulance previously was used on a rotating basis throughout the county and response time tended to be longer.
"This is very good news for Milan," said Mayor Kym Muckler. "It will be reassuring for residents, especially those south of the city."
Once Milan implements the Category 2 status and a 911 call is placed, a Milan police dispatcher will make the determination whether the situation is life-threatening. If it is, Milan firefighters will be called out. If in the dispatcher's judgment is that the situation is not life-threatening, the call will be relayed to HVA and its status again will be assessed.
The HVA unit, staffed by one paramedic, will respond to emergency calls in Milan, York Township, Lodi Township, Saline and parts of western Pittsfield Township.
"Now, our paramedic can start advance life support care more quickly," Williams said. "The goal is to stabilize a person there on the scene and better serve the entire area efficiently."
Three specially trained senior paramedics will rotate shifts with the HVA community unit in Saline.
"These are seasoned paramedics, trained to handle emergencies on their own," Williams said.
Tim Newell has been with HVA since 1995 and was in Saline Monday on his third shift since the new arrangement was set between fire department and HVA.
"We can now bring the care to the rural communities as quick as possible so you have the same benefits as those, say, located in downtown Ann Arbor."
"We are a fully functioning paramedic unit and, if there is a critical matter, we are also able to transport with a firefighter driving," Newell said.
HVA has had a community unit in Dexter for two years and hopes to someday build a station in York Township to best serve the southeast rural corner of the county.
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